xăm

See also: xam

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [sam˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [sam˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [sam˧˧]
• Homophone: săm

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *tʃəm (“to tattoo, to poke small holes”).

Verb

xăm

1. to tattoo

   hình xăm ― a tattoo

See also

Derived terms

• xăm trổ

 

Etymology 2

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 籤 (SV: thiêm). Compare tăm, thăm.

Noun

(classifier que) xăm

1. oracle; fortune stick (in temples)

   xin xăm ― to requests answers from a sacred oracle lot